Fisheries group reorganizes, vows more active voice on issues

The North Carolina Fisheries Association begins its sixth decade as one of the oldest commercial fishing organizations in the country with a reorganization to again become a strong voice in the volatile culture involving the trade.

The North Carolina Fisheries Association begins its sixth decade as one of the oldest commercial fishing organizations in the country with a reorganization to again become a strong voice in the volatile culture involving the trade.

A new leadership team has been named that includes the return of one of the association’s most notable spokesmen — President Jerry Schill.

Schill was the association’s president and lobbyist for nearly two decades before he left in 2005 to pursue other interests, including a move to a farm in his native Pennsylvania.

Schill returned several years ago and has been active in other local groups, including serving as chairman the Craven-Pamlico Christian Coalition and heading STAFF House maternity home. Recently, he took over the interim director job for the fishing association before being named its president.

Schill said he will continue his leadership role with the Christian Coalition and do some administrative work and serve as a STAFF House board member in a volunteer role.

Brent Fulcher of B&J Seafood in New Bern is the new board chairman, with Leslie Daniels of William Smith Seafood in Beaufort as treasurer.

The new board includes representation from Dare County to Brunswick County, and all aspects of commercial fishing — harvesting, processing and trucking. Affiliate groups such as the Carteret County Fishermen’s Association and the Albemarle Fishermen’s Association also have voting representatives on the board.

Schill and Fulcher both said there is renewed interest by commercial fishermen and supporters to be an active voice in the political and regulatory process.

“We got complacent as a group and it reflected on the organization, but I see a much more interested fishing community that knows how important it is to organize,” Fulcher said. “With Jerry’s past experience and his connections, combined with an activist board, I am confident that we will be able to rebuild and re-energize NCFA as a successful voice for rural Eastern North Carolina.”

Schill said the commercial fishermen and support industries face ongoing challenges from regulatory and political forces.

He said the upcoming short session of the North Carolina General Assembly holds potential game-changing challenges for working fishermen.

He said one issue involved attempts to classify certain species as game fish, which would then make them unavailable for commercial harvest.

Another is a proposal by the commercial fishermen to double the license fee for 3,000 standard commercial fishing license holders to finance an observer program aboard vessels to protect endangered sea turtles. The legislature has final decision on the matter.

Schill said that fishermen stepped forward on the matter, knowing state budget restraints. He said that without the mandated observers, fisheries could be closed, involving fish such as flounder.

A game fish bill that was introduced last year would have classified striped bass, speckled trout and red drum as game fish.

Page 2 of 2 - “When a species is made a game fish, it is illegal to sell that fish,” Schill said. “Any fish caught by a commercial fisherman would have to be thrown away.”

Schill said opposition to changes of fisheries status to game fish is two-fold.

“Our position has always been based on principle,” Schill said. “It is a public trust resources and it is owned by everybody — not just a recreational fisherman or a commercial fisherman.”

He said that with game fish status, it takes certain species off the table for consumers.

Schill said that incidental commercial catch of these species would, by regulation, have to be thrown over the side of the boat.

The new board also retained Maureen Donald as editor of the revived Tradewinds, the official publication of NCFA, which ceased printing about two years ago.

The association’s administrative assistant, Peggy Page, will continue working from the administrative office in Pamlico County.

Charlie Hall can be reached at 252-635-5667 or Charlie.hall@newbernsj.com